Rating: 
Summary: Where to begin? How about... right here?
Review: There's nothin' like a little classic 'Trek to fill my need for quasi-cheesy space opera hijinks. And where better to start than at the very beginning? "Where No Man... " introduces Kirk, Sulu, & Scotty to the Star Trek universe. It's filled with other notable firsts as well, including the first Shatnerian halting, staccato, heavy-handed monologue as Jimmers is being tortured by his former first officer who's using his newfound telekinetic powers to claim dominion over his former shipmates. Although this show marked his only appearance on 'Trek, Gary Lockwood eventually found a way to double his sci-fi convention revenues thanks to his being cast in another classic space iliad a few years later. And let's not forget the first signature Kirkian fight sequence, as well as Jimmers' first ripped uniform top that shows off his not-so-ripped left shoulder & chest! Okay, so maybe Shatner's display of bare flesh ain't nearly as gratuitous here as it was in 'Big Bad Mama' (come to think of it, NONE of 'em were!), but, um... where am I going with this? Absolutely nowhere, that's where! Which means it's time to move on the next eppie on this disc... 'The Corbomite Maneuver' was the proper introduction of Dr. McCoy (the network wasn't showing the episodes in the actual order they were filmed, so this wasn't his first official appearance BUT!...), as well as his second-most-famous (paraphrased) catchphrase, "What am I, a doctor, or...?" Also new to the scene is Uhura, that sultry goddess of the Enterprise communications console, and Yeoman Rand! As most males of the Trekkie Nation will tell you, hailing frequencies ain't the ONLY things that are open whenever these ladies put in their screen time! Strangely enough, Uhura debuts wearing a yellow miniskirt uniform here. Fortunately, the higher-ups in the costume department noticed that she looked much better in red! Also making one of his earliest appearances here is the false Balok. Actually, it's his only appearance, save for his image showing up as part of the background stills in the closing credits of almost every original 'Trek show! He's also been part of a few practical jokes performed by Gene Roddenberry on the show's writers. Then there's the real Balok, played by Clint Howard, who's almost as scary-looking as his false alter-ego! No wonder big brother Richie- whoops, I mean, Opie- whoops, I mean, Ron throws him small roles in the flicks he directs! Might as well face facts: Clint just ain't got that 'leading man' look... 'Late
Rating: 
Summary: Shameless profiteering
Review: Don't misunderstand me; I love the original Star Trek. The episodes on this DVD are quite good, and I give them 5 stars. Star Trek was the first non-idiotic sci-fi TV series, and paved the way for more sophisticated sci-fi television. However, these Star Trek DVDs are an example of shameless profiteering. There should be 6 episodes on each DVD, not 2. There's only one reason to waste 70% of the space on each DVD; to get the cost/episode up. I wish there was a way to rate an entire series on Amazon, because that's what I'm doing here. There's no way I'm going to duplicate this review for the other 35+ Star Trek DVDs! I don't want unnecessary clutter in my DVD library. I want 15 DVDs of Star Trek episodes, not 40. I want to buy them all at once, in a boxed set, not dribbled out slowly, a couple of episodes at a time. I am extremely unhappy with how these episodes have been released, and will not purchase them until they pack the DVDs full, either with episodes, or GOOD extra material.
Rating: 
Summary: The second and the "true" Star Trek pilot episodes
Review: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the second pilot episode shot for Star Trek, which was necessitated because "The Cage" was considered two cerebral. This time around the episode ends with a nice fistfight involving Kirk. The Enterprise encounters an energey barrier at the edge of the galaxy and two of the officers, Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner develop amazing abilities that border on some sort of godhood. I always thought it was too bad this was the first episode, because the key sub-text is that Kirk and Mitchell are friends. Consequently, there is a sense of tragedy involved when Kirk has to kill his friend. But since this is the pilot, we really do not have a sense for their friendship. In contrast, there is no notion of anything existing between Kirk and Spock on a personal level. What would have been really interesting would have been if "Where No Man Has Gone Before" had come halfway through the first season, with Mitchell and Dehner as established characters (like what happened with Tasha Yar on STNG or Doyle on Angel.) Actually, I think "The Corbomite Manuever" would have made a much better pilot, because the episode deals with the risk of exploring space and encountering new races. The Enterprise is out mapping a region of space when it encounters a cube that blocks their path. When the cube starts emitting radiation, Kirk destroys it with phasers. Then the biggest spherical spacecraft you have ever seen arrives upon the scene and the Enterprise receives a message from Commander Balok that they will be destroyed for violating the territory of the First Federation. What is nice about this episode is not only that Kirk uses his brains rather than his fists to solve the problem but that his relationship with Lt. Bailey speaks to the crux of the show's five-year mission. Compare this with the Kirk-Mitchell relationship in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and you can see that the lesson Kirk teaches Bailey about not being afraid of the great unknown is more central to the show's dynamic. Plus, you have to love the twist when we get to look behind the curtain at Balok. "The Corbomite Maneuver" is one of the best of the early Star Trek episodes.
Rating:
Summary: Revisiting Old Friends
Review: I had never seen any of The Original Series before last year, I caught one on TV and thought it was interesting. I bought this DVD to start my collection and see if I liked other episodes of The Original Series. Did I ever. I grew up watching the movies with my dad and to see the characters of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in their beginings was great. If you alreay like Star Trek then these DVD's are the best way to start a collection and revisit old friends. The quality is far better than what you'd get just watching them on TV.
Rating:
Summary: better than the original
Review: I was about 4 years old when this originally aired, but I remember it, it shaped my life (foolish as that sounds). Viewed thru a DVD on a big tv with composite video this is simply beautiful! I had to turn down the overall color, but once I did this is nothing short of a perfect print! I only wish the remainder of the series lived up to this high standard, it doesn't! This one may be beautiful but the remaining series is best judged individually (especially at this price), quality varies, widely.
Rating:
Summary: Two Great Early Trek Episodes
Review: Volume 1 contains two great early Star Trek episodes: "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and "The Corbomite Maneuver." In WNMHGB, Kirk's friend and fellow officer (played by Gary Lockwood) encounters a presence that gives him incredible powers, making the rest of the crew little more than pests in his "new" eyes. Kirk must decide whether he can save his friend without endangering the crew. "The Corbomite Maneuver" is a great cat-and-mouse game between Kirk and the hostile alien Balok. These episodes look and sound better than ever on DVD. Paramount has wisely released two episodes per disc rather than one, for which we can be thankful. Sadly, however, there are no extras except for the "Next Voyage" trailers. Like another reviewer, I wish Paramount and the Sci-Fi Channel could strike a deal permitting the addition of the behind-the-scenes information featuring the actors and guest stars. With these additions, the DVD's would no doubt fly off the shelves. But, the episodes are so good, they probably will anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Two of the Very Best
Review: Volume One of the Original Star Trek series contains two of the very best episodes of the entire series. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" may not have the "complete" cast that we are used to, but it has a story that shows you the things Star Trek wanted to do in the course of the series. "Corbomite Maneuver" is my personal favorite episode of any Trek series. It contains moments of wonder, horror, humor and curiosity that no other episode has been able to reproduce since then. One only wishes that Star Trek would go back to encountering "unknown" objects and beings in space. This DVD is also very crisp and the sound has been remastered. A must have!
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly High quality video transfer
Review: This DVD presents the second pilot from the show and the classic "Corbornite Maneuver" on one disc. The important aspect of this release (and presumably other releases) is that the picture quality is truely excellent considering these were recorded in 1966. Sound quality is also clear and crisp for the time with the main title music sounding very bouncy! The only gripe to throw at these releases is that there should really be 3 or 4 episodes per disc. One wonders how long paramount can sustain these releases if there are 178 TNG, DS9 and Voyager episodes to release too!
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Being a huge TNG fan, I wasn't sure if I'd like this DVD. So, I got the first volume, having never really seen a TOS episdoe before. One word for you: wow! This DVD has a lot to offer! The screen quality was EXCELLENT and the music/audio portions were superb as well. My only reason for limiting the full 5 stars was the fact that you have to buy the volumes separately, and not in one box set. (like the X-Files or Sex and the City's DVD's) Way to go Paramount for allowing really cool merchandise to grace our eyes!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Reunion with Old Friends
Review: I first began watching Star Trek in reruns. The print quality was awful in those days: scratchy, grainy film; poor audio; obvious splices, and the episodes were cut to allow for extra commercials. I have on occasion purchased the VHS transfers, but the quality was mediocre at best. Paramount is to be commended for deciding to transfer the entire original series to DVD. Their engineers have done an excellent job of remastering the visual images. (The image is a bit TOO good. Look carefully, and you can make out the seam line in William Shatner's toupee.) But, what is really astonishing to me is what they have done with the sound. By separating the various elements (dialogue, scoring and sound effects), they have been able to present a much more vivid audio image. Star Trek never looked or sounded better. True, the visual effects and sets date. But have you seen an early episode of Next Generation lately? They look pretty cheesy by today's standards, and what about those awful lycra uniforms? I am aware that there have been complaints regarding each DVD containing two episodes, but if there had been more the cost would certainly have been higher. It has been said that the best special effect of all is human emotion. Watching the interplay between Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the other characters, one can easily see what has been missing in the sequel Star Trek series--indeed, in science fiction generally.
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